Dom Pedro II
Modder For Life
I used to love making scenarios for Civ2. I'd spend months on them, and in fact, I spent much more time making scenarios than I did actually playing the game. I don't really like the lack of features for decent scenario-making in Civ3, but I think I've found one that doesn't require the... errr... subtlety needed for other scenarios.
The premise is based on a book I've been working on for the last two or three years or so.
Here's the premise...
It's June 30, 1862, (the sixth day in the Seven Days Battle). The massive Army of the Potomac was standing at the very gates of Richmond, but through a combination of Lee's skill and McClellan's reluctance, the army is retreating. Lee's forces have been battering the Union troops through the withdrawal for several straight days. In each encounter, Stonewall Jackson has either performed poorly or did not take part at all. There is some disagreement as to why. Some say he didn't act well under the command of others. Others say he was suffering from extreme fatigue and possibly a fever.
Our point of divergence is that rather than sleeping out in the open-air, he takes refuge in an ambulance and gets a full night's rest. The following day, Monday, he is ready for the task at hand. Though the Confederates did not know it, the Union army was at its most vulnerable point it would ever be. McClellan, depressed by recent events, left for the James River and spent the day on board gunboat Galena with its Captain John Rodgers. No one is in command of the five divisions at the Glendale crossroads where the battle will take place. The most senior commander, Bull Sumner, through a shifting in command, has been left commanding one brigade. The road is choked with supply wagons, and there is only route to meet up with the rest of the Army of the Potomac on the fortified position at Malvern Hill.
The battle begins, and it plays out early on much like it did in real life. Due to the slow movement of Huger, they got off to slow start, but once Jackson crossed the White Oak Swamp and attacks Franklin's corps, everything changes. The beleaguered Union troops are spread too thin, and Longstreet manages to punch a whole in their line and overrun the only road out of the swamps. Only Joseph Hooker manages to make it out since his division was south of the break. Through the night, the Confederates tighten their strangle hold on the Union troops still inside.
Before dawn, the individual generals begin surrendering. By mid-morning, the damage is clear, 45,000 men of the Army of the Potomac have surrendered. There's still another 45-50,000 at Malvern Hill now, but by this point, most of the men are completely demoralized, and their commander, McClellan thinks that an army of 200,000 rebels will soon overtake them. He orders Porter, his second-in-command to surrender and he sails for Washington where he's arrested by Lincoln who cannot tolerate such a shameful defeat. McClellan continues to plea innocent and he remains popular in spite of what happened. His allies criticize the Lincoln government saying that it was Lincoln's lack of support, not McClellan's competence as a general, that caused this disaster. Porter meanwhile negotiates to surrender the arms of his troops and leave with his men at first oppurtunity.
With new supplies and weapons, the Army of Northern Virginia is in better shape than it ever has been before. Meanwhile, General John Pope moves on Gordonsville to capture this vital rail line of northern Virginia. Lee orders Jackson into the field to subdue the braggart Pope who has already infuriated the Virginians with his brash talk and questionable policy towards the non-combatants.
Jackson arrives in very early August at Gordonsville and finds no enemy army there. He advances northward and on August 9th, fights a battle with Pope's advance guard under Banks at Cedar Mountain. At this same time, Lee has ordered Longstreet to help support Jackson. Stuart has already departed by this point.
The entirety of Lee's army arrives in Gordonsville on August 12th. Around August 16th, its realized (thanks to Stuart's reconnaissance), that Pope has placed his army in a V-shape along the Rapidan river with the open-end of the V pointing towards Washington. The position is precarious, and if the Confederates cross from the right, they can destroy Pope's army of 50,000 with relatively little bloodshed. There would be no place to retreat to.
The plans go underway and the attack is made. The Union troops, some of them having seen defeat only a few days earlier at Cedar Mountain, and others having heard the tales of the near-super human Lee break and run after little fighting. When it's realized that they have no escape, they too, surrender. Even Pope himself is captured in the attack.
Though bloodied, Lee's army is glowing. After the prisoners are packed up and sent to Richmond, the Army of Northern Virginia continues north. Washington, though not nearly as strong as it had been a few months earlier, is still ringed by fortresses and has at least 40,000 defenders within it. It's too tough a nut to crack, but there is not a Union field army within 300 hundred miles that's powerful enough to even touch the Army of Northern Virginia.
Lee crosses into Maryland and then on into Pennsylvania. The B&O railroad is severed, and the bridge over the Susquehanna River destroyed. This causes disruptions in the Western theater and the call for more troops to reinforce the capital depletes Buell's forces. Thus, he is even more cautious than he normally was. Bragg, now heavily pressured by Davis to coordinate efforts, pushes on into Louisville, and Kentucky is seriously in danger of seceding.
Once in Pennsylvania, Lee's army begins destroying the anthracite coal mines with the help of some disgruntled Irish coal miners known only as the Molly Maguires. The governor of Pennsylvania flees and Harrisburg is temporarily occupied. Lincoln, receiving reports of new opposition to the war throughout the country, reports that the English and French have already decided to extend recognition to the Confederacy, and the reality that the country cannot live without its coal, he decides to sign a truce.
It is made clear though that if this happens, the army intends to move on the White House. A conspiracy spearheaded by Joe Hooker aims to take control and place McClellan as leader. He's still popular among the men, and the "Little Napoleon",as he was called, is seen as some as a great potential leader. As a consolation, Lincoln offers his resignation along with the truce, but this is not enough. In a bloodless coup, Lincoln, his family, and his entire Administration and their family members flee the city. McClellan assumes control.
Word spreads quickly, and loyalties are divided. Some believe it's better to continue the fight at the expense of the Constitution. Others feel that the whole point of the war is the Constitution and that the Army has gone too far. Buell, an old friend of McClellan, sides with his friend. Grant, on the other hand, does not. When the new government under President Hannibal Hamlin (formerly VP), he pledges his allegiance to the old government. State conventions are called and most choose to back the old government. Thus, all of the volunteers and militia that were part of Lincoln's call for 300,000 new troops are ordered as part of a coalition army to be united with Grant's forces.
In Washington, all Senators who do not cooperate are immediately imprisoned. The rest are forced to pass legislation at gunpoint. One of the first acts is a declaration of war on Britain and France. In the navy, Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes, commander of the West Indies Squadron and famed offender in the Trent Affair backs McClellan. When war is declared, it will be one of the vessels under his command, the USS Monitor that will fire the first shots on a British vessel.
The scenario would start off in November 1862.
The "civs" would include:
Hamlin government
McClellan regime
C.S. government
Great Britain
France
Spain
Juarista Mexico
The Hamlin government and the McClellan regime are locked in perpetual war as is the McClellan regime and the CSA. The Hamlin government starts off at peace with the CSA, but that can certainly change. France and Britain are also at war with the McClellan regime as well, but NOT the Hamlin government. France is locked in combat with the Juarista government. Everybody else is pretty much a toss up.
There are some other players that might be interesting to include, but I haven't decided... Santo Domingo and Santiago Vidaurri's government in northern Mexico might be interesting possibilities as well.
The Confederates start out with a strong army in southern Pennsylvania, and Grant's army starts off in Tennessee, so there's some room for some nasty confrontations with the Confederates still.
Basically, as the McClellan regime, you're trying to consolidate your power as well as win the war against the rebels. The goal of the Hamlin administration is to recapture Washington and the enclaves of McClellan supporters and restore order to the country. If possible, the war can be reinitiated with the South (and won), but that's not the main objective.
Anyway, that's basically it in a very long-winded description...
The premise is based on a book I've been working on for the last two or three years or so.
Here's the premise...
It's June 30, 1862, (the sixth day in the Seven Days Battle). The massive Army of the Potomac was standing at the very gates of Richmond, but through a combination of Lee's skill and McClellan's reluctance, the army is retreating. Lee's forces have been battering the Union troops through the withdrawal for several straight days. In each encounter, Stonewall Jackson has either performed poorly or did not take part at all. There is some disagreement as to why. Some say he didn't act well under the command of others. Others say he was suffering from extreme fatigue and possibly a fever.
Our point of divergence is that rather than sleeping out in the open-air, he takes refuge in an ambulance and gets a full night's rest. The following day, Monday, he is ready for the task at hand. Though the Confederates did not know it, the Union army was at its most vulnerable point it would ever be. McClellan, depressed by recent events, left for the James River and spent the day on board gunboat Galena with its Captain John Rodgers. No one is in command of the five divisions at the Glendale crossroads where the battle will take place. The most senior commander, Bull Sumner, through a shifting in command, has been left commanding one brigade. The road is choked with supply wagons, and there is only route to meet up with the rest of the Army of the Potomac on the fortified position at Malvern Hill.
The battle begins, and it plays out early on much like it did in real life. Due to the slow movement of Huger, they got off to slow start, but once Jackson crossed the White Oak Swamp and attacks Franklin's corps, everything changes. The beleaguered Union troops are spread too thin, and Longstreet manages to punch a whole in their line and overrun the only road out of the swamps. Only Joseph Hooker manages to make it out since his division was south of the break. Through the night, the Confederates tighten their strangle hold on the Union troops still inside.
Before dawn, the individual generals begin surrendering. By mid-morning, the damage is clear, 45,000 men of the Army of the Potomac have surrendered. There's still another 45-50,000 at Malvern Hill now, but by this point, most of the men are completely demoralized, and their commander, McClellan thinks that an army of 200,000 rebels will soon overtake them. He orders Porter, his second-in-command to surrender and he sails for Washington where he's arrested by Lincoln who cannot tolerate such a shameful defeat. McClellan continues to plea innocent and he remains popular in spite of what happened. His allies criticize the Lincoln government saying that it was Lincoln's lack of support, not McClellan's competence as a general, that caused this disaster. Porter meanwhile negotiates to surrender the arms of his troops and leave with his men at first oppurtunity.
With new supplies and weapons, the Army of Northern Virginia is in better shape than it ever has been before. Meanwhile, General John Pope moves on Gordonsville to capture this vital rail line of northern Virginia. Lee orders Jackson into the field to subdue the braggart Pope who has already infuriated the Virginians with his brash talk and questionable policy towards the non-combatants.
Jackson arrives in very early August at Gordonsville and finds no enemy army there. He advances northward and on August 9th, fights a battle with Pope's advance guard under Banks at Cedar Mountain. At this same time, Lee has ordered Longstreet to help support Jackson. Stuart has already departed by this point.
The entirety of Lee's army arrives in Gordonsville on August 12th. Around August 16th, its realized (thanks to Stuart's reconnaissance), that Pope has placed his army in a V-shape along the Rapidan river with the open-end of the V pointing towards Washington. The position is precarious, and if the Confederates cross from the right, they can destroy Pope's army of 50,000 with relatively little bloodshed. There would be no place to retreat to.
The plans go underway and the attack is made. The Union troops, some of them having seen defeat only a few days earlier at Cedar Mountain, and others having heard the tales of the near-super human Lee break and run after little fighting. When it's realized that they have no escape, they too, surrender. Even Pope himself is captured in the attack.
Though bloodied, Lee's army is glowing. After the prisoners are packed up and sent to Richmond, the Army of Northern Virginia continues north. Washington, though not nearly as strong as it had been a few months earlier, is still ringed by fortresses and has at least 40,000 defenders within it. It's too tough a nut to crack, but there is not a Union field army within 300 hundred miles that's powerful enough to even touch the Army of Northern Virginia.
Lee crosses into Maryland and then on into Pennsylvania. The B&O railroad is severed, and the bridge over the Susquehanna River destroyed. This causes disruptions in the Western theater and the call for more troops to reinforce the capital depletes Buell's forces. Thus, he is even more cautious than he normally was. Bragg, now heavily pressured by Davis to coordinate efforts, pushes on into Louisville, and Kentucky is seriously in danger of seceding.
Once in Pennsylvania, Lee's army begins destroying the anthracite coal mines with the help of some disgruntled Irish coal miners known only as the Molly Maguires. The governor of Pennsylvania flees and Harrisburg is temporarily occupied. Lincoln, receiving reports of new opposition to the war throughout the country, reports that the English and French have already decided to extend recognition to the Confederacy, and the reality that the country cannot live without its coal, he decides to sign a truce.
It is made clear though that if this happens, the army intends to move on the White House. A conspiracy spearheaded by Joe Hooker aims to take control and place McClellan as leader. He's still popular among the men, and the "Little Napoleon",as he was called, is seen as some as a great potential leader. As a consolation, Lincoln offers his resignation along with the truce, but this is not enough. In a bloodless coup, Lincoln, his family, and his entire Administration and their family members flee the city. McClellan assumes control.
Word spreads quickly, and loyalties are divided. Some believe it's better to continue the fight at the expense of the Constitution. Others feel that the whole point of the war is the Constitution and that the Army has gone too far. Buell, an old friend of McClellan, sides with his friend. Grant, on the other hand, does not. When the new government under President Hannibal Hamlin (formerly VP), he pledges his allegiance to the old government. State conventions are called and most choose to back the old government. Thus, all of the volunteers and militia that were part of Lincoln's call for 300,000 new troops are ordered as part of a coalition army to be united with Grant's forces.
In Washington, all Senators who do not cooperate are immediately imprisoned. The rest are forced to pass legislation at gunpoint. One of the first acts is a declaration of war on Britain and France. In the navy, Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes, commander of the West Indies Squadron and famed offender in the Trent Affair backs McClellan. When war is declared, it will be one of the vessels under his command, the USS Monitor that will fire the first shots on a British vessel.
The scenario would start off in November 1862.
The "civs" would include:
Hamlin government
McClellan regime
C.S. government
Great Britain
France
Spain
Juarista Mexico
The Hamlin government and the McClellan regime are locked in perpetual war as is the McClellan regime and the CSA. The Hamlin government starts off at peace with the CSA, but that can certainly change. France and Britain are also at war with the McClellan regime as well, but NOT the Hamlin government. France is locked in combat with the Juarista government. Everybody else is pretty much a toss up.
There are some other players that might be interesting to include, but I haven't decided... Santo Domingo and Santiago Vidaurri's government in northern Mexico might be interesting possibilities as well.
The Confederates start out with a strong army in southern Pennsylvania, and Grant's army starts off in Tennessee, so there's some room for some nasty confrontations with the Confederates still.
Basically, as the McClellan regime, you're trying to consolidate your power as well as win the war against the rebels. The goal of the Hamlin administration is to recapture Washington and the enclaves of McClellan supporters and restore order to the country. If possible, the war can be reinitiated with the South (and won), but that's not the main objective.
Anyway, that's basically it in a very long-winded description...
